Spring clip



SPRING CLIP Filed May 12, 1933 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 23, 1937 SPRING CLIP Albert E. Jesser, Vandergrift, Pa.,assignor to Pittsburgh Steel Drum Company, Pittsb Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application Maylz, 1933, Serial No. 670,719

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in spring clips, havingparticular application for removably securing the covers or heads tocontainers or receptacles.

In the lubrication art, it is common practice to dispense oil or greasefrom what are known as steel drums or barrels, having removable coversor closures which are removed and'the oil or grease withdrawn by'meansof portable pumps inserted within said drums, the drums and pumps beingstandardized for interchangeability.

Such pumps generally include a drum-engaging head or cover for removablysupporting the pump within a drum, which head comprises a flat circularplate having a circumferential depending flange for telescopingengagement with the upper openend of the drum.

-The pump proper is generally of the well known gear and rack typehaving a rotatable operating handle or arm, the turning moment of whichnecessitates some means for stabilizing or steadying the pump on thedrum to which it is applied,'

as for example, by fixing the pump head to the drum.

Various means such as bolts, hook-bolts, wedges, etc. have been employedheretofore with partial success for securing the pump head, such meanshowever adding materially to the cost of the equipment, owing to theadditional parts re quired and the necessity of providing suitableopenings in the drum and pump head for receiving the same.

Among the difiiculties of application and/or removal of such securingmeans, it became necessary to provide a flange at the open end of thedrum to afiord a bearing for-such means.

practice, such flange tookthe'formof an inwardly extending annular ringportion, which reduced the size of the opening in such drum to 40 suchan extent-as to prevent facile and complete removal. of the grease orother contents of the drum, resulting in considerable waste.

By means of myv invention, it is possible t utilize what is known in theart as, a full-removable-head drum, having on end of the drum completelyopen, thus dispensing with the restricting flange described andproviding for complete removal of the drum contents.

Such drums are formed with a roll. or head s PATENT OFFICE may be madeof suitable size to cooperate with the said standard pump head, theflange of the latter receiving the roll or head of the drum therebehind.

When so positioned, my invention provides a spring clip which may bereadily applied to the drum head and the roll or bead, and whichcooperates therewith to securely fasten the head on the drum.

My invention contemplates a clip of novel design which when positionedon the drum will secure itself against accidental removal, but which,due to its flexibility, may be readily re- I moved when desired by themanner set forth herein.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an oil or grease drum, showing a pumpapplied thereto with the head thereof secured to said drum in the mannerof my. invention;

Fig. 2, a top plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail section,taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2, showing the manner of applying. thespring clip;

Fig. 4, 'a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the clip applied;

7 section.

wardly'into ahead of substantially round cross? In the dispensing ofoils, greases, etc., a pump, diagrammatically illustrated at B, isapplied to the drum A by means of a head or cover 4, which head consistsof a fiat. circular member or plate :having a terminal circumferentialdown-turned flange 5 of such proportions as to snuglyfit or,telescope'over-the roll or head 2 of the drum,

as clearlyshownin Figs. 3 and 4. In this man'- ner,-the pump, or moreparticularly the work-- gingbarrel 6 thereof, is suspended within the:drum for dispensing the contents, such as oil r or grease, by rotationof the crank arm or handle I of'the pump. *For the purpose of removablysecuring the pump head it on the drum, I provide means cooperating withthe bead and flange connection of the head and drum, applicable at anypoint in the circumference thereof, said means comprising a one-piecespring clip 8 preferably formed. of a fiat strip of spring or tempered.steel of such configuration as to embrace the roll of said drum and headin holding engagement.

While my clip may assume various shapes or designs, I prefer to form thesame into substantially C-shape having upper and lower oppositelydisposed arcuate or semi-circular portions 9 and II! respectively, saidportions being spaced apart and joined at one side by means of aconnecting portion H. At the other side, the portions 9 and ID areseparated to form an entrance opening or throat l2, the upper portion 9having a reversely curved contacting portion at l3 and an upwardlyinclined lateral terminal l4.

The lower curved portion 10 as shown, is upwardly concave, and at itsside opposite the connecting portion l I terminates in a sharp orabruptly reversed portion i5 comprising a hook member. Said hook memberis provided with an elongated depending tail-piece 16.

In constructing the clip of my invention, the throat i2 thereof, or theopening defined by the distance between the portions I3 and I5, issmaller than the distance from the upper surface a of the pump head 4 tothe lowermost extremity or under surface of the drum roll or head 2.

Hence, in applying the clip to the head and drum, said clip will assumea position somewhat in the manner of Fig. 3, with the assembled head andbead partially entered within the clip throat i2, and with the'lower endonly of the tail-piece iii in contact with the wall 3 of the drum.

Upon striking the portion ll of the clip a. sharp blow with a hammer orother tool, the clip will be distended into embracing engagement withthe pump head and drum bead in the manner of Fig. 4, with the hookmember I5 engaged under the bead 2 and the tail-piece [6 extendingdownwardly along and in complete lengthwise contact I) with the outersurface of the wall 3 of the drum.

The major deflection of the clip occurs in its upper portion 9, asillustrated in Fig. 5, thereby displacing the curved portion l3 thereofdirectly over or into approximate alinement a:a: with the hook memberl5. This line of application m-a: of the holding force of the clip ispreferably spaced inwardly of the center line 11-11 of the roll or bead2, whereby the hook member I5 is urged upwardly behind the lowermostsurface of the bead into binding contact, resisting disengagementthereof and efficiently fastening the pump head 4 thereto.

In constructing the drum A, the lower inner edge e of the roll or bead 2is preferably spaced from the wall 3 of the drum, thus providing forresiliency. Hence, when applying the clip 8 thereto, the bead 2 will bedeflected, or more particularly, the said edge 0 thereof will assist theholding action of the hook member E5 of the'clip by deflection upwardly,thereby affording a more secure engagement for the said hook member.

When the clip is in place, it is to be noted that the tail-piece l6thereof has an extensive contact I) with the wall 3 of the drum, thesaid contact being along a line substantially parallel to the directiona:--a: oi the holding force of the clip. In this manner provision ismade for resisting rotative movement of the clip, thereby preventingaccidental disengagement thereof from the drum and head.

The terminal M of the clip inclines upwardly from the upper surface a ofthe drum head when applied, and is employed for disengaging the clipfrom the drum, either by an upward and outward prying action, or bystriking the same a sharp outward blow with a hammer or other tool, thusspringing the clip out of engaging position.

Thus it will be seen that'I have provided a 4 means for removablysecuring the pump head or cover to a full-removable-head or completelyopen-ended drum which may be applied and/or removed without thenecessity of bolts and the like, and which will require no special drumconstruction for its application. In practice, a plurality of my clipsmay be applied around the circumference of the pump head, and willstabilize or steady said head against movement while actuating the pump.

By reason of their simplicity, the clips of my invention are practicallyindestructible and may be used repeatedly. They are designed for use inconnection with the now standard pump head, it being understood that thesame may be modified or changed to meet future requirements.

I claim:

1. A securing clip for holding a flat top head to the rounded rim of adrum consisting of a bent strip of resilient metal having an upperinwardly rounded terminal for irictionally engaging the flat surface ofsaid head, and a lower spaced apart oppositely rounded rim-engagingterminal provided with a reversely disposed depending tail piece forengaging the drum below the rim thereof to resist disengagement of theupper terminal from the drum head, said rim-engaging terminal engagingunder the rim inwardly beyond the largest diameter thereof.

2. A securing clip for holding a flat top head to the rounded rim of adrum consisting of a bent strip of resilient metal having an outerlooped portion extended to form an upper inwardly rounded and upwardlydeflected terminal for exerting downward clamping pressure on the flatsurface of said head, and an oppositely disposed spaced apart inwardlyrounded rim-engaging terminal provided with a reversely disposedstraight tail piece for engaging the drum below the rim thereof toresist disengagement of the upper terminal from the drum head, saidrim-engaging terminal engaging under the rim inwardly beyond the largestdiameter thereof.

3. A securing clip for holding a flat top head to the rounded rim of adrum consisting of a bent strip of resilient metal having a lowerterminal engaging the rim inwardly beyond the largest diameter thereof,a spaced upper terminal engaging and exerting downward clamping pressureon the flat surface of the drum head, and a depending tail piecedisposed in contact with the drum below the rim thereof along a linesubstantially parallel to the direction of said clamping pressure on thedrum head, for resisting outward rotative disengagement of the upperterminal from said head.

4. A securing clip for holding a flat top head to the rounded rim of adrum consisting of a bent strip of resilient metal having a lowerterminal engaging the rim inwardly beyond the largest diameter thereof,a spaced upper terminal engaging and exerting clamping pressure normallyto the flat surface of the drum head, and a depending tail piecedisposed in contact with the drum below the rim thereof for resistingmovement of the upper terminal along said flat surface of the drum head.

5. The combination with a drum having a circumferential rounded head,said bead having a,

lower inwardly extending free edge portion, of a

